Goroka opens legal year

National, Normal
Source:

The National – Tuesday, February 8, 2011

By ZACHERY PER
THE 2011 legal year opening for courts and law enforcement agencies in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, took place in Goroka yesterday with a dedication service headed by Rev Jack Urame of St John’s Lutheran church at West Goroka.
Goroka District Court magistrates, lawyers, staff of the National Court and Magisterial Services, police and Correctional Services officers all attended the event.
Goroka resident National Court judge Justice Joe Yagi challenged members of the legal fraternity and discipline officers to take heed of Urame’s messages of being like a shining light to make a difference in dispensing of justice.
He used the occasion to announce that the courts in Goroka will conduct a workshop on the implement the new Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) from March 3-4.
Yagi said the court was looking at taking on board traditional ways of dispute resolutions under the new reform which would give power to judges and magistrates the powers to order for ADR for certain civil cases.
“ADR which will involve mediation processes aims to allow parties in court to mediate to find the best solution, they would compromise with mutual understanding to resolve disputes.”
He said some people with good integrity and reputation will be trained to be mediators under ADR to lead mediation between disputing parities.
Urame, in his sermon, read a Bible text that spoke about salt and light, saying members of the legal fraternity had important duties and responsibilities to shine like a light and add flavour like salt.
“God wants us to be like salt and light for his people who need peace and harmony in society.”
Urame said in PNG, tribalism, regionalism and ethnic conflicts creates fear and disharmony questioning how they could be like and salt in many other evils of this nation riddled with misuse of government money, properties and abuse of power and positions.
He said God, who called them to serve in public office, had bestowed them with special gifts and talents to serve his people with honest and fear of him.